To make our shepherd's pie, we used ground beef as our base and added tomato paste, garlic, and thyme to bump up the flavor. Flour, chicken broth, and Worcestershire sauce were all that we needed to create a rich gravy.

Ground beef chili is way more convenient than chili made with whole chunks of meat, but a truly great version requires a few tricks. To keep the meat moist and tender, we treated it with salt and baking soda.

I time-tested myself: I can roast half a dozen chicken pieces in less than 30 minutes -- the same amount of time it takes to drive to the market, pick up a cooked bird and drive back. If I line my roasting pan with foil, the cleanup is barely more than rin

What pleases me -- on any given Tuesday, not just once a year -- is fried chicken. I realized that one day a year I could let loose and try to get as close to all the fried chicken (not just one regional or cultural style) as possible. And that is how Jenn'